Easy exercises to help stop snoring

Nearly a quarter of women and some 40 percent of men are habitual snorers. The reason for sawing logs is well known: soft tissue in the throat partially blocks the airway, and air flow causes this soft tissue to vibrate, producing the telltale noise.

How to stop snoring is less clear. Oral appliances, nasal strips, lifestyle changes (such as weight loss and not drinking alcohol), and adjustments to sleeping positions are all recommended treatments.

But researchers in Brazil found that when volunteers performed mouth “strength training” moves for three months it reduced the frequency of snoring by 36 percent and the intensity of snores by 59 percent. In contrast, a group who wore nasal-dilator strips to sleep saw minimal improvement, as measured by sleep studies and reports by their bed partners.

The short exercise routine, performed three times a day, includes moves that the researchers say can be done while commuting or after brushing teeth. Here are four exercises to try.

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Exercise 1

Push the tip of the tongue against the roof of the mouth and slide the tongue backward. Repeat 20 times.

Exercise 2

Suck the tongue upward against the roof of the mouth and press the entire tongue against the roof of the mouth. Relax the tongue and repeat. Repeat 20 times.

Exercise 3

Force the back of the tongue against the floor of the mouth while keeping the tip of the tongue in contact with the bottom front teeth. Repeat 20 times.

Exercise 4

Elevate the soft palate (the back of the roof of the mouth) and the uvula (the fleshy protrusion that hangs from the soft palate) while making the vowel sound "A." Repeat 20 times.

Two additional exercises

•.Place your index finger against your cheek muscle, inside your mouth. Press the muscle outward. Perform 10 times on each side.

• Be sure to chew using both sides of your mouth equally. When swallowing keep your teeth closed, lift your tongue to the roof of your mouth, and keep your cheeks relaxed.

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